Star Wars Rebels: Ezra Tua
by Dr.Indigo
Summary: What if Ezra's parents had been arrested before he was old enough to even remember them? What if instead of fending for himself on the streets, he had spent his childhood has the son of an Imperial Loyalist? How would this effect his destiny? Read and find out for yourself.
1. Chapter 1: IPRA

To those of you who saw my last post, this new story comes as no surprise, so I'll just jump right into things. Star Wars Rebels is owned by Disney and Lucasfilms. I own nothing.

Chapter 1: IPRA.

Location: Planet Lothal, Capital City.

Date: 17 BBY (2 Years after the Formation of the Galactic Empire), Empire Day.

The smog filled skies above Capital City were alive with color as the latest in a long line of pyrotechnic shells burst open in a phantasmagoria of light and sound. Even the most embittered of citizens were enthralled, if only temporarily, by the spinning pinwheels and vibrant spiders that danced across the heavens. Indeed, it seemed as though the entire populace was out enjoying the skyward celebration.

However, this was unfortunately not the case. For deep within the imposing structure of the Imperial Security Bureau's Lothalan Branch Office, a young woman sat alone in a small, windowless room; completely petrified.

She was, by all appearances, an average looking human female. It wasn't so much that she was unattractive, she was actually quite lovely as far as humans go; it was more that there was nothing about her that really stood out from the rest of the crowd. Her blonde hair was done up in a simple, modest bun, her light brown eyes, though lovely, were a common color for her species, why, even the flawless nature of her complexion was quite commonplace amongst the more fortunate females of Capital City, what with the easy access to Imperial Beauty Treatments. Indeed, average was the perfect word for her; average height, average weight, average breast size, average everything. Even the way she dressed was average, like the way you'd expect a secretary or an assistant to dress; which was appropriate given that the former was her chosen occupation.

So given the sheer magnitude of her apparent averageness one might wonder what such a woman was doing in such a precarious predicament. This was something the woman in question had been wondering for quite some time. As far as she knew she had committed no crimes against the Empire. On the contrary, she had always strived to serve the Empire, even before there was an Empire, in the days of the Old Republic. She had always done her job diligently and professionally. She never made waves or fought against the changing tides. So why in the name of Emperor Palpatine had she been summoned to ISB Building? And why on today of all days?

As she tried in vain to keep herself from hyperventilating the door behind her suddenly slid open and a second human entered the room. However unlike the first, this human was most decidedly male. He tall and muscular, and although the female would never say this in front of him for fear of embarrassment, he was also extremely handsome. His pitch-black hair was cut short, regulation length for an Imperial Storm Trooper, and dotted with little points of silver, which gave it the appearance of a nighttime sky. His eyes were a dark violet, which interestingly enough just happened to be her favorite color. His masculine jawline was framed perfectly by an immaculately groomed goatee with similar silver points dotted about it. In short this man was, at the same time, both enchanting and intimidating.

As he walked past the woman took note of his peculiar looking uniform. It was somewhat similar in appearance to those worn by Grand Moffs, only the coloring was all wrong. Instead of the typical dark green his was an odd patchwork of gold and white, and on the left breast where Rank Insignia Plaque should have been there was instead a small silver brooch in the shape of a flute with a pair of fairy wings. In addition, she noticed he was carrying a strange looking data pad in his right hand. It appeared to be somewhat more advanced than any of the standard units she had ever seen; most likely a newer model or possibly a custom job. At any rate she was certain she had never seen anything like it, or him, before in her entire life; which was more than enough reason to be nervous from where she was sitting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long," the man said as he rounded the large desk in front of her and casually took his seat. "I would have been here sooner, but my superiors handed me a bunch of paperwork to fill out at the last minute. Surely you know what that's like, don't you Mrs.…"

"It's Ms. actually," the woman corrected, her accented voice sounding slightly embarrassed. "I'm… I'm not married."

"Oh, yes of course, sorry." The man said apologetically, sounding more than a little embarrassed himself. "I actually already knew that from reading your file, but it's just been such a hectic day. Again, I'm so sorry."

"No, I understand. It's quite alright." The woman replied, sounding somewhat timid. "But, if it's not too much to ask, what's all this about? Why was I summoned here? I'm not in trouble am I? Because whatever it is you think I've done I swear…"

Before she could finish her sentence the man behind the desk held up his right hand. The woman got the message and immediately hushed up.

"All of your questions will in due time Ms., but first I have a few of my own." He explained as he tapped a few buttons on his data pad. "Now if you would be so kind, please state your name for the record."

"Y-yes sir," she answered, sounding timid once again. "My name is Maketh… Maketh Tua."

"Ma-Keth Tu-A." the strange man sounded out as he typed something into his data pad. "Let's see here. You're a native of Lothal. Your family lineage is almost entirely human as far back as our records go. And you are currently employed as a secretary to Minister Ghazan. Is that all correct Ms. Tua?"

"Yes Sir." The woman now identified as Ms. Maketh Tua replied, sounding slightly less nervous than before. "That's all correct, but I still don't understand…"

"All will be explained in time Ms. Tua. Just be patient." The man interrupted yet again; though his voice never raised a single octave. "Now, according to our records you attended several classes at the Imperial Academy. Is this true?"

"Yes, but they were mostly just refresher courses for classes I'd taken years ago. Before there ever was an Imperial Academy."

"Mostly… but not entirely?" the man asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"Well… no," Ms. Tua answered, this time sounding more confused than nervous. "I also took a class on the new Imperial Filing System, another on the Imperial Constitution, and one covering all of the changes to the Galactic Legal System, but all government employees are required to take those."

"Indeed they are Ms. Tua." The man replied with an amused chuckle. "However, most government employees aren't as willing to comply with Imperial regulations as you are. Many need to be _persuaded _to attend the new classes, but not you. You went of your own freewill. Why is that exactly Ms. Tua?"

"Well… it was the law and I didn't want to lose my job." The blonde woman said matter-of-factly. "And besides, it's not like resisting would've changed anything; there'd still be an Empire whether or not I was there to answer the Minister's communications and fetch his coffee."

"True, very true." He said as he tapped something into his data pad again. "Huh, this is interesting. According to our records you used to work with several women who were arrested last year during a protest against one of the new laws." The oddly dressed man added with no small amount of amusement in his voice. "Now, call me crazy, but I find it hard to believe that a woman like _you_ could work with so many women like _them _for so long and not be influenced by their… oh, shall we say, less than favorable philosophy."

There was something about the way this strange man spoke that was really starting to arouse the young blonde's ire. It was like he was trying to bait her into saying the wrong thing; almost like she was being tested or something.

'Well then,' she thought to herself. 'If I am to be tested, then I may as well pass.'

"If your records are as complete as you claim, then you know that my connection to those _women _extends no further than the shape of out chromosomes." She said aloud, sounding much more confident than she did before. "True, we did all use to work for the Minister and yes, once or twice, they did try to coerce me into joining their cause, but I always turned them down. As a matter of fact, I testified against them after they brought to trial. If you don't believe me, then check your precious records and see for yourself."

With an impish grin, the oddly dressed man scrolled through something on his data pad.

"You know, now that you mention it… our records do make some vague reference to you testifying against your coworkers." He said in an irritatingly playful manner. "However, they don't explain why you refused to join in their protest in the first place. I mean, it's not as if you knew they would all be arrested. So why couldn't they sway you to their cause Ms. Tua?"

"Because going against the Empire is a fool's errand!" answered Ms. Tua in a much harsher tone than she meant to. "I apologize for raising my voice, but it's the truth. Trying to bring down an organization as powerful and complex as the Empire is pure lunacy. More than that it's selfish. All of those protestors and so-called _Freedom-Fighters_ calling to arms over every little inconvenience, and who pays the price for their actions? We do, that's who! I didn't join my fri… I mean, coworkers because fighting the Empire doesn't solve problems, it only makes problems worse! Does that answer your questions?"

"More than you realize, Ms. Tua." The mysterious man muttered under his breath.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, nothing. Never mind." He replied casually as he once again scrolled through his data pad. "At any rate, let's continue." For about a minute and a half the oddly dressed man continued to tap and scroll; his face an unreadable mask of concentration. Final, after what felt like an eternity, the man ceased his endless scrolling and a smile spread across his lips. "Interesting… You know Ms. Tua, for an unmarried woman you seem oddly fixated on having children."

This statement really threw the blonde for a loop. Not because it was untrue, but more because it seemed to come completely out of nowhere.

"E...excuse me?" she stammered, her face lightly flushed with embarrassment.

"You work for Minister Ghazan, whose office is in the center of the city, and yet every day, without fail, you spend your lunch hour in the park near the southern edge." He explained in a tone reminiscent of a university professor giving a lecture. "At the best of times it takes you twenty minutes to get there and another twenty to get back, leaving you with only a little under half an hour to find a spot and enjoy your lunch, and that's only if you're lucky. According to your employee file, you've already been reprimanded twice for returning late from your lunch break. So why then, Ms. Tua, do you continue to go there every single day?"

"I… I…" the blonde stammered again, her blush intensifying. "I… I rather like the… scenery."

"Yes… I'm sure you do." The man said, sounding impish once again. "That's why you always sit at the beach nearest the playground, so you can sit back and fanaticize about having _scenery_."

"H-how… how did…" Ms. Tua stammered in a mix of shock and humiliation. "How did you…"

"How did I know where you always sit?" the man said, finishing her sentence. "How I know is not important. What is important is that in addition to your 'Lunch Time Hobby', our records also show that over the last year and a half you have logged over three-hundred volunteer hours at the local hospital."

"What has that got to do with anything?" she asked, no longer sounding embarrassed, but still a little flustered from all this questioning. "It's not a crime to donate part of one's free time to helping those in need. Personally I think it's a crime not to."

"I expected a response like that, based on what Dr. Iqua told me."

"Dr. Iqua? What did he…"

"Quote: _In my professional opinion, Maketh Tua is without a doubt the finest volunteer we have ever had at this institution._" The strange man said, clearly reading some kind of statement from the aforementioned Dr. Iqua. "_She is warm, nurturing, and seems to possess a limitless source of energy when it comes to taking care of other. All of our patients love her. Particularly the children, who have affectionately dubbed her 'Auntie Tua'. I wish I had a million more volunteers just like her._ End Quote."

"Dr. Iqua really said all that?" the blonde asked; once again sounding embarrassed, albeit for entirely different reasons.

"More or less." The man answered. "He kept switching between Basic and Rodian, so I couldn't get it exactly word for word. But trust me, he gave you a glowing review."

This time Ms. Tua was at a complete loss for words. She had known that Dr. Iqua and the others valued her help, but the _finest _volunteer they'd ever had? That was more praise than she thought she deserved.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Good, then you won't interrupt me when I ask you this next question." The man said, quickly reverting back to his trickster persona. "Is it true that over the last eight months you have visited the Capital City Public Library a grand total of fifty-six times? Researching everything from child rearing to artificial insemination to holistic methods of increasing a woman's breast milk production?"

"Yes, all that's true, but I don't see…"

"Why I should care?" the strange man finished. "I care, because as I said before Ms. Tua, for an unmarried woman you seem oddly fixated with the idea of having children and I'd like to know why."

"I hardly think that's any of your business." The blonde replied defensively.

"Actually, it's the Empire's business," the man countered bluntly. "So unless you'd like to be charged with treason, I suggest you explain yourself as truthfully as possible."

At this, Ms. Tua let out an audible gulp. This was not a subject she normally discussed with people; especially not ones she had just met. However, under the circumstances she had very little choice in the matter. If she was going to avoid prison then she was going to have to spill her guts.

"Well, it's rather complicated, but I'll try to explain." The blonde woman said in submission. "You see, I'm rather… lonely."

"Everybody gets lonely Ms. Tua." The man replied dryly. "Though most people don't immediately jump to trying to have children. Have you considered trying to find a boyfriend first? Or perhaps some sort of pet?"

"I did consider that actually. Finding a boyfriend I mean." She replied. "But so far I haven't been able to find _the one_ and right now I'm…"

"You're what Ms. Tua?"

"Right now, I'm… I'm ready to be a mother." She answered, her voice a rare mix of pride and embarrassment. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm tired of waiting for someone who may never come. I'm ready to be a mother, I know I am, every fiber of my being is telling me I am. All I want is a chance to prove it. All I want… is someone to love."

By the end of her little speech, Ms. Tua's face was almost entirely bright red. She couldn't believe what she'd just said. _All I want is someone to love_; what was the matter with her? All she could think about was how desperate and pathetic she must have sounded. She closed her eyes and waited for the oddly dressed man to lay into her with another one of his cutting impish remarks. However, much to her own surprise, such a remark never came. In its place, he gave her an empathetic, "Makes sense to me" and then he went right back to scrolling through his data pad.

This really threw the young blonde for a loop. To think that after all the goading and mean-spirited comments, for this man to pass up a chance to ridicule her after she had given him so much fodder; it was positively mindboggling. Though not exactly unwelcome.

"Now then Ms. Tua," the man said after clearing his throat. "One last question. Do you recall an incident yesterday involving yourself and another woman on the street in front of your apartment?"

Like all of his other questions, this one seemed to come completely out of nowhere. However, unlike many of the others, this question was neither personal nor embarrassing. So she had no reservations about answering it immediately.

"Yes, I recall, though I'd hardly call it an incident."

"Be that as it may Ms. Tua I, and by extension the Empire, would appreciate it if you'd recount the details of this event in your own words."

The young blonde still wasn't sure what any of this had to do with anything. However, since she had no other options, she recounted the event in question exactly the way she remembered it.

"Let me see… I was walking home from work and since I was so close to my apartment I decided to get my keys out so I'd have them ready when I reached the door. But while I was rifling through my purse I wasn't looking where I was going and I accidentally bumped into another woman."

"Interesting…" the strange man commented. "Then what happened?

"Well… As you can imagine, I felt simply dreadful about knocking her over like that, especially since she was carrying so many groceries at the time, so I offered to help her pick them up. But she said she didn't need my help."

"So you're saying she was rude?"

"No, not rude exactly, it was more like she was in such a hurry to get home that she didn't want to run the risk of started a lengthy conversation. At least that's what it looked like to me."

"So once she picked up her groceries, she just ran off and that was it?"

"Yes… I mean no, I mean not exactly." Ms. Tua rambled as she tried to organize her thoughts. "What I mean is, yes she did run off after that, but that wasn't the end of it. After she left I noticed she'd dropped something; a holodisc. I was going to give it back to her, but she was already gone. So I decided to hold on to it until tomorrow, or rather, earlier today."

"I see… and what precisely did you do with the device in question earlier today Ms. Tua?"The man asked, though from his tone it was clear he already knew the answer.

"Well, I handed it over to the local authorities on my way to work this morning. I figured if it was important she might go looking for it there. I even gave them her description just to help move things along. After that I went straight to work and then a few hours later I was told to come here. Now if you don't mind Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is I've had quite enough of all these questions. So either tell me what exactly is going on here or let me leave, because until I get some answers I refuse to give you anymore."

Almost instantly the young blonde realized what a costly mistake she had just made. Mere minutes ago this man had threatened to have her charged with treason and here she was mouthing off to him like an impudent child. She could only imagine what he was going to do to her after such an outburst. However, much to her surprise, no punishment came. Instead the strange man behind the desk just let out a soft yet hardy chuckle.

"Very well Ms. Tua." He said sounding more than a little amused by her momentary boldness. "I suppose you've earned a few answers of your own. For starters, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Marcus Puer-Fur. Agent Marcus Puer-Fur of the Imperial Progeny Relocation Agency."

"Imperial Progeny…" she repeated confusedly. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I've ever heard of that organization before."

"Not surprising. We don't exactly advertise ourselves like those fellows in the ISB." He replied; his voice laced with a mix of professionalism and pride. "No, we in the IPRA prefer to keep our activities as low-key as possible. There are a lot of unscrupulous characters out there who would no doubt try to take advantage of our agency and all that we do."

"And, what exactly do you do Mr.…. I mean, Agent Puer-Fur?"

"That's a bit complicated Ms. Tua, but I'll try to explain it as best I can." The strange agent paused for a brief moment to collect his thoughts before he continued. "You may not be aware of this, but any given time in this great galaxy of ours there are at least four or five rebel cells enacting plans to try and bring down our beloved Empire."

"My word… that many?"

"I'm afraid so, but fortunately so far the ISB has been able to stamp out all of these cells before they could do any real damage. However, every victory comes with a cost. That is where we come in."

"What do you mean?"

"You see Ms. Tua, many of these would-be insurgents have families, even children, and more often than not when the ISB has finished its work these children are left without anyone to care for them; all alone in a cold and unforgiving universe. I ask you, is it fair for these children to be punished for the mistakes of their parents?"

"Certainly not!" the young blonde said, her maternal instincts stirred by his words.

"My sentiments exactly, and I happen to know for a fact that Emperor Palpatine feels the same way. Which is why he created the IPRA; to insure that the children of these so-called _Freedom Fighters _are given a second chance at life by placing them with people more worthy of having them."

"What exactly do you mean by 'more worthy'?"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but people more like you Ms. Tua."

"Wait… what are… I mean… are you…" the young blonde stammered as realization struck like a block of solid stone. "Are you asking me to…"

"That's correct Ms. Tua, I'm asking you to take on the role you've waited for your entire life; motherhood."

"B-but I don't understand…"

"Oh it's quite simple really, the woman you encountered yesterday was a traitor; she and her husband were broadcasting anti-imperial propaganda from a secret bunker beneath their home. They've been causing the Empire problems for months, but thanks to you we were finally able to put an end to their rabble-rousing shenanigans." the enigmatic agent explained, filling the young blonde with a sense of pride. "And since you have done the Empire such a tremendous service, I feel it's only appropriate that the IPRA reward you as only it can."

"You… you mean…" Ms. Tua stammered once again, her voice an odd mix of fear and excitement.

"That's right, the couple had a child, a little two-year-old boy, and now he's all yours; you can take him home tonight if you wish."

For one brief and shining moment Ms. Tua's senses were overwhelmed with pure joy. At long last, her dreams of motherhood were finally within her grasp. However, just as quickly as it came her joy was soon replaced by soul-shattering sadness as she remembered why she had yet to achieve her dream on her own.

"I… I'm sorry but…" the young blonde said in a somber yet refined tone. "I'm afraid I must decline."

This seemed to catch the odd agent off-guard.

"I don't understand…" he said sounding seemingly befuddled. "Is this a joke? Everything in our records indicates that being a mother is your ultimate fantasy. And now that I'm practically giving you a child on a silver platter you say no. Are you mad?"

"It's not that I don't want this. Being a mother is all I've ever wanted." She answered sadly. "It's just… I don't make a lot of money, and my apartment isn't really big enough for two people. So I wouldn't be able to take care of this child properly. I'm sorry but I think it would be in the boy's best interest if you… _sniff_… if you gave him to someone else."

At first Agent Puer-Fur said nothing, his as unreadable as ever. Then, after what felt like an eternity, a toothy grin spread across his face and he brought his hands together in a slow, steady clap.

"Well done Ms. Tua," he said, this time only sounding slightly impish. "Most people slip with that last one, but I had a special feeling about you. Congratulations, the boy is yours."

"B-but I just said…"

"I know what you said, but please allow me to explain." The seemingly mad agent interrupted. "You see, part of my duty as an IPRA agent is to weed out those who are unworthy of the agency's gifts and based on what I've seen from this interview you are the most worthy applicant I've ever met. Granted I've only had this job a few months, but that's beside the point."

"Wait, interview? Weed out?" she asked with a mix of anger and confusion. "Are you telling me this whole time you've just been messing with me as some sort of test?"

"And because it was fun." Agent Puer-Fur said with a smile. "But all joking aside, you have all of the qualities needed to be a mother. You've got the instincts, the moral compass, the sense of civic responsibility; you were even willing to give up your dream just for the good of a child you've never even met. You're the perfect mother."

"Maybe…" Ms. Tua replied trying to sound humble. "But I still don't have the money needed to…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," he cut her off casually. "You see, another function of the IPRA is to ensure that all _Replacement Parents_, as I like to call them, have everything they need to care for their new children; money, new birth records, I can even get you six months off for _Maternity Leave _if you like."

"H-How can one agency do all that?"

"We have our ways." He answered cryptically. "But enough about all that. What matters now is that this child needs a mother and you're the perfect person for the job. What do you say?"

At first the young blonde said nothing she pondered her situation yet again. On the one hand now she had no legitimate excuse not to raise this child as her own; the Empire would provide everything she'd ever need. It was perfect. But on the other hand raising this child would still be a lot of work and even with six months leave she'd still have to learn how to balance both her child and her career eventually. She wasn't quite sure if she was really up for the task. She was about to decline for the second time when a small cry reached her ears. It was very faint, so she assumed it must have been coming from another room close by.

'Is that the child?' she asked herself, already realizing the answer. 'It's just lying in a room somewhere in this horrible building and no one's doing anything about it. Why doesn't someone help it? Why don't…' she paused her train of thought for a moment, only to accidentally vocalize her thoughts a second later. "Why don't I?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said… I said I…" she stammered momentarily in embarrassment before her maternal instincts filled her with newfound confidence. "I said I'll do it. I'll take the boy and I'll raise him as my own."

"That's the spirit Ms. Tua." Said Agent Puer-Fur with a strange mix of mischievous mirth and genuine satisfaction. "Now, if you'll just follow me down the hall to fill out a few forms, you can take your new son home immediately."

"My son…" she said to herself, transfixed with rapture. "What's his name?"

"Ezra I think." the strange agent answered as he slowly began to get up from his desk. "But he's only two, so if you don't like the name you can just change it. No big deal."

"No, I love it." She said as she felt her heart fill with bliss. "My little Ezra. Ezra Tua."

End Notes: There it is folks I hope you liked it. For those of you who are following Comfort and Loss, the next chapter will be ready in two weeks. I apologize yet again for all of the delays.


	2. Chapter 2: Hen Fight

Hello everyone and welcome to the second chapter of Ezra Tua. I do apologize for the long wait but a lot of stuff came up and I never really imagined this story would get so popular so fast. Star Wars: Rebels is the property of Disney and Lucasfilm. I own nothing. So without further ado, please read and enjoy.

Chapter 2: Hen Fight.

Location: Undisclosed.

Date: 17 BBY (5 Months after Ezra's Adoption).

'25,341… 25,342… 25,343… 25,344… 25,345… 25,346… 25,347… 25,348… 25,349…' the woman thought mechanically as she silently counted the dust particles that floated past her field of vision. It wasn't a particularly difficult task, nor was it very stimulating, but it was necessary nonetheless. Because, at the moment, this pointless counting game was the only thing keeping her mind together. '25,350… 25,351… 25,352… 25,353… 25,354… 25,355… 25,356…'

She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been at this game, largely due to the fact that she'd lost count and had to start over at least half a dozen times, but this detail was insignificant when compared to all of the other facts she was in the dark about at the time. For example, she had almost no idea where in the Galaxy she was; though the unfamiliar sun she sometimes saw in the sky told her she was no longer on Lothal. In addition, she was also ignorant as to the whereabouts of her husband and infant son; though she hoped beyond all hope that they were faring better than she was.

It had been many months since she had been brought to this massive and seemingly nameless prison, and nearly every second of every day since then has involved one form of torture or another. She had been beaten, shocked, shaved, branded, pumped full of hallucinogens, forced to watch horrific images on repeat for many hours, and at one point they actually striped her naked and left her on display in the yard like a scarecrow for the better half of a week; all for the sake of trying to get her to answer one question, 'Who else were you working with?' Of course, none of these methods had been enough to break her, so the powers that be decided to try something a bit different; isolation. About six or seven weeks ago, give or take a few days, one of the guards had removed from her usual cell and placed her in one barely larger than a small closet. Then she was left alone in that tiny space for six hours before the guard returned and asked her if she was ready to talk. When she said no, he left again, this time for twelve hours. The cycle continued on in that fashion until finally the guard only returned once every three days. She knew they wouldn't make the intervals any longer, because they couldn't let her starve before extracting the information from her, but with virtually no room to move, only four blank walls to look at, and the single florescent light above her impeding her sleep, things weren't looking too good for her psyche. Hence the need for her monotonous counting game.

'25,404… 25,405… 25,406… oh wait, didn't I count that one already? Darn…' she thought with only mild annoyance as she began to start over. '1… 2… 3… 4…'

Before she could get any further, the door to her cell suddenly flew open. Not that she was complaining, but this was an entire day ahead of schedule. Were they trying to mess with her mind by mixing up the timetable? As if responding to her mental inquiry, the guard at the door spoke.

"Surprise Bridger," he said with a slight mocking tone. "You've got a visitor."

"Visitor?" she asked confusedly, her voice raspy from disuse. "Since when do I get visitors?"

"Since today," the guard answered gruffly before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her harshly to her feet. "Now hurry up! She's not gonna wait all day!"

Without much resistance the woman complied and allowed the boorish guard to lead her down the long and malevolent looking hallway. He didn't bother to put her in cuffs because it was against the warden's policy and she didn't bother trying to run because she was not a fool. She had seen firsthand what happened to those who try to escape. On the day she arrived at this fortress of pain and suffering one of the doctors injected something into the back of her neck. When she asked what it was he just laughed and said, 'If you're smart you'll never find out.' About a week later, she remembered because at the time they'd had her on daily electroshock treatments to try and loosen her tongue, she saw another inmate attack one of the guards with a concealed he had somehow acquired. Unfortunately before he could finish the job he suddenly collapsed onto the floor. She didn't fully understand how, but the man had been rendered paralyzed from the neck down; at least that's what the guard had said when he proceeded to assault the man's extremely vulnerable face with the butt of his blaster.

At any rate, she knew better than to try and run away, so she instead chose to occupy her mind with other thoughts. For example, what was this about her having a visitor? She had never heard of any of the other prisoners ever receiving visitors. In fact, she highly suspected that this place, wherever it was, wasn't widely known to the general public. So how could anyone ever visit? More than likely, she surmised, this was some new ploy to try and make her talk. However, since it would doubt be a welcome change of pace from her endless counting game, and since she had no real say in the matter, she decided to just go along with it. Besides, by this point she figured one form of interrogation was no worse than any other.

After what seemed like hours, the two finally reached the end of the long hallway. The guard, who was sporting a suspiciously smug look on his face, punched a code into the control panel beside the door, causing it to open.

"Right this way." He said as he shoved her through and quickly sealed it behind her.

At first the woman saw nothing, just a great black void that seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. Then suddenly the endless darkness was replaced by a bright, blinding white light. For a split-second the woman thought she had lost her sight entirely. Fortunately, this was soon proven false as her vision slowly returned; reveling herself to be trapped in a room roughly half the size of a standard holding cell. By all accounts, the room was completely indistinguishable from any of the other rooms in the prison, save for one minute detail; while three of the room's four were pure white, the fourth was pitch black. Obviously this wall was meant to be the main focus of the room; though its purpose, for the moment, remained to be seen.

Just then, as if responding to thoughts, the black wall transformed into thin, see-through energy barrier; revealing a similar, yet slightly larger room on the other side. Within the other room, she caught sight of another woman who looked to be about her age; if not a year or two younger. Like herself, this new woman was human, though that was the extent of the similarities between them. Unlike her, this woman still had all of her hair; which was blonde and done up in a modest bun. Additionally, she had light brown eyes instead of blue and her clothes made her look like secretary rather than a hardened convict. This other woman, whoever she was, clearly did not belong here; which logically meant she must be her _visitor_.

"Um… hello…" said the blonde woman from her seated position on the other side of the barrier; sounding understandably uneasy. "So… how are you doing?"

"Well… I'm in prison, so I'd have to say not well." the first woman answered sourly.

"Oh, yes… of course, stupid question… sorry." Replied the blonde with a heavy mix of anxiety and embarrassment in her voice. "Let's just forget I said anything. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure…" said the first woman, this time sounding somewhat less sour. "So who are you anyway? I mean, I'm pretty sure we've never met before and yet you came to visit me in prison. What is this, some new way to try and pump me for information? Are you supposed to be my _reward_ for spilling my guts? Sorry, but I don't go for blondes."

The other woman's face turned bright red and she began to fidget quite noticeably. Clearly she was uncomfortable with these types of questions. However, after a few quick deep breaths, her blush disappeared and she was able to regain her composure.

"To answer your first question," she began, suddenly sounding much calmer. "My name is Maketh Tua and the reason I'm here is because a new… _acquaintance_ of mine insisted I come see you. To give us both a since of closure."

'Closure?' the first woman thought confusedly. "What are you talking about? I don't even know who you are? How could you possibly give me closure?"

"Well… I'm afraid that's where this gets rather… awkward." Ms. Tua began, starting to fidget again. "You see, you may not remember this, but a few months ago we met on Lothal. Well… not so much met, more like bumped into each other on the street outside my home. Well, it's actually more of an apartment, and I don't actually live there anymore. I have much bigger place now. Does it feel hot in here to you?"

"Try taking a few more deep breaths Hon." The caged woman said with a mix of sympathy and sourness.

"It's alright… I'll be fine…" the young blonde replied, sounding slightly less frazzled. "It's just that sometimes when I'm nervous I start rambling. And I've never really been in a prison before, but I've heard a lot of stories about riots and incidents in the showers and…"

"I get the point." The caged woman cut her off politely. "So you're saying you bumped into me on the street a few months back. What of it?"

"Well… It's just that… after our little run-in I noticed that you'd dropped something… a holodisc…" Ms. Tua explained, still sounding quite uneasy. "And I meant to give it back to you, but… well… you just ran off so quickly and I… I… I thought it might be something important like maybe family photos or something for work so I… I turned it over to the authorities and… well…"

By this point the young blonde assumed that the caged woman had managed to connect the dots, so she just closed her eyes and prepared for the savage tirade that would soon be assaulting her delicate ears. However, much to her own surprise, said tirade never came, and instead her ears were met with something much less caustic.

"So… you're telling me you're the reason I'm locked up in this place," said the former house wife in a shockingly even tone. "Honestly, I can't say I recall the incident you just described, so as far as I know this could just be some kind of elaborate ploy to make me reveal the names of my accomplices. Then again, I have been through a lot these last few months so my memory may not be what it used to, in which case you might be telling the truth. Either way it doesn't really matter."

"It's all true I swear." replied Ms. Tua, now sounding more confused than anxious. "But… but I don't understand. I thought you'd be… angry."

"Who says I'm not?" asked the caged woman, still sounding alarmingly calm. "But getting angry won't change anything. Even if I could get to you through this barrier I'd still spend the rest of my life in this forsaken gulag. Besides, from what I can tell you didn't mean for this to happen. You just thought you were doing the right thing. So you've got nothing to feel guilty about."

"Actually… I don't really feel all that guilty…"

Now that really threw the caged woman for a loop. Not so much because of what was said, but more because of how bluntly the young blonde had said it. Throughout this entire conversation she had been apprehensive and overly polite, and yet suddenly she had the fortitude to completely deny all feelings of guilt for getting a young wife and mother sentenced to a life of torture and interrogation. Something just did not add up.

"Oh really?" the seemingly older woman asked incredulously.

"Well… yes!" the blonde answered with a strange sort of blunt politeness. "I mean, you broke the law. You illegally broadcasted anti-imperial propaganda. You endangered not only your own life but the life of your so… I mean the lives of your family and for what? Did you honestly think you could make a real difference? That if you ranted long enough to enough people the Empire would just suddenly disappear? Going against the Empire doesn't solve anything it just makes life harder for the rest of us! So no, I don't feel guilty about having you arrested and I'm not going to lie and say I do just to make you feel better!"

By the end of her rant the young blonde had started hyperventilating; clearly she was not accustomed to this level of emotional intensity. So, in spite of being more than a little taken aback by the sudden outburst, the former housewife turned criminal decided to give her a moment to compose herself.

"Feel better?" she asked after her visitor took one final deep breath.

"Yes… very…" the blonde answered, sounding as if she had just run a marathon. "I'm… I'm not quite sure where that came from. I'm usually not so abrasive. I do apologize. For being abrasive I mean, not for, well… the other thing."

"Forget about it." The caged woman relied politely, though her tone suggested that she was still a little thrown by her visitor's random display of temper. "Anyway, you said someone told you to come here for closure and yet, as you so eloquently stated, you don't feel the least bit guilty about having me thrown in prison. So that begs the question, why exactly are you here Mrs. Tua?"

"Well… I'm afraid it's rather… complicated." The young blonde began tentatively; clearly trying very hard not to say the wrong thing. "You see, the acquaintance I told you about, the one who asked me to come here, is an agent with the Imperial Progeny Relocation Agency and for the last few months he's been helping me through a certain, well… transition period, and he said seeing you was one of the final steps in the process."

It may have been due to a severe lack of slap, but something just wasn't adding up. She had never heard of any Progeny Relocation Agency and exactly what kind _process _required someone to visit someone they had arrested for treason? No, nothing about this made any sense at all. That is, until the former housewife really began to think about everything her visitor had said so far.

'Imperial Progeny Relocation Agency… Progeny Relocation… Progeny… Progeny!' that was when all of the pieces started to come together. The blonde's unspecified process, the need for a transition period, the one word she had refused to finish.

_You endangered not only your own life but the life of your… _

"Son…" the caged woman whispered as the realization struck her like a thunderbolt.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My son…" she said in hushed horror before quickly raising her voice to a more audible level. "Earlier, when you were yelling at me, you stopped yourself from saying I had endangered my son. How did you know I had a son?"

"I… I wouldn't say I was yelling. It was more like…"

"Don't change the subject!" the caged woman said harshly as she struck her fist against the barrier; ignoring the mild shock it sent up her arm. "Tell me how you knew about my son right **now**!"

The subtle undertone of fear in her voice told all within earshot that she had already pieced together the answer, but was still hoping to be proven wrong.

"Alright, if you insist." Replied the young blonde as she steadied her nerves to give her answer. "The truth is, I know all about your son because…" she paused only for a second to gulp; she had a sinking feeling what was coming next wasn't going to be pretty. "…because he's my son now."

In that moment, a strange sensation overwhelmed the former housewife's senses. It wasn't rage, or sorrow, or anything like that. It was more like… nothing. Like fifty-thousand gallons of soul-crushing emptiness had been injected directly into her brain. This feeling was completely alien to her, she had no idea what to do or say next. So she just said the first thing that came to mind.

"What?"

"I said…"

"I heard what you said!" snapped the caged woman, allowing a small sliver of anger to break through the emotional void in her mind. "I just don't know what else to say. I mean, you just admitted to stealing my son, how exactly am I supposed to respond to something like that?"

"I didn't _steal_ him!" the young blonde said defensively. "The Empire gave him to me! Legally!"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she asked, now sounding more upset than angry. "The Empire just _gave _my son away at random; like he was some sort of cheap carnival prize! It's sickening!"

"I assure you it wasn't at random." Her visitor chimed in in an attempt to correct her. "I was chosen to take care of little Ezra after an extensive background check and a rather, well, _invasive _interview with an official IPRA agent. The Empire gave him to me because it knew that I would do everything within my power to make sure he grows up happy and healthy."

"And you honestly belief that tripe?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Listen, Ms. Tua was it? You seem nice enough, but you don't know the Empire the way I do." The caged woman explained. "You can't trust Imperials; everything they say is at least half a lie. There's corruption on every level, in every system, and because of that they get away with things you can't even imagine."

"Well… I'll be the first to admit the new regime isn't perfect, but I do believe you're blowing things just a bit out of proportions." The young blonde replied in a somewhat motherly tone. "After all, the IPRA is an Imperial institution and they've been nothing but helpful to me and my little Pre… I mean Ezra. Not only have they gotten me time off from work to help me adjust to motherhood, but they've also given us a new, more spacious apartment, new clothes, new toys, and just about everything we'll ever need."

"And you don't find that even the slightest bit suspicious?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can't you see they're just using you?" the former housewife asked leadingly. "I've only just met you, but I can tell you're a real Imperial Bootlick, no offense, and the Empire knows it too. That's why they gave Ezra to you. That's why they keep bribing you with all these perks and free gifts. They want to make sure you raise him exactly the way they want you to. So instead of standing against them like me he grows up to be like you."

"Would you listen to yourself!" her young visitor answered with controlled harshness. "First of all, I am a Loyalist, not a 'Bootlick'. And second, what you're saying is insane. The IPRA is an adoption agency, nothing more. And the so-called 'bribes' I've been receiving are just standard services they'd provide to anyone. There's no conspiracy in the works, no evil plot being orchestrated behind the scenes."

"When it comes it comes to the Empire, there's always _something _going on behind the scenes. Even if _some_ people refuse to believe it."

That last comment, and possibly several before it, seemed to offend the young blonde, because after hearing it she immediately crossed her arms and let out an irritated, slightly childish sounding _huff_.

"Sounds more like bitter grapes to me." She replied sourly.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"You heard what I said." The blonde snapped venomously. "You're just jealous!"

"_Jealous_?"

"That's right, jealous! Jealous because the Empire recognizes me as the better mother!"

"The only thing you're better at is being a suck up!"

"At least I actually _care_ about Ezra!"

This time, the caged woman did not respond immediately. Instead she remained silent for several moments; as if allowing herself a quick respite to let her visitor's words sink in. However, after another minute or two the silence was broken by a deceptively controlled response.

"How _dare _you?"

"Well it's the truth isn't it? Ever since Ezra became my son I've done nothing but love and protect him. All you ever did was put a target on his head with all you're propagating and rabblerousing!"

"Everything I did, I did _for_ Ezra! I rebelled against the Empire so that maybe someday he wouldn't have to!"

"You can hide behind all the platitudes you want but facts are facts, and the fact of the matter is that _you_, Ms. Bridger, are a _horrible mother_!"

"You… _you_…" said the former housewife as the anger bubbling within blossomed into an explosive rage. "_You insufferable bit_…"

**BEEEP!**

As if directed by some all-seeing invisible censor, a blaring noise filled the room, cutting off the caged woman before she could finish her insult. A few seconds later, a door opened in the wall behind the blonde and an armed guard walked through.

"Terribly sorry Ms. Tua," he said sounding overly professional. "But I'm afraid your time is up. The Warden has asked me to escort you back to your shuttle immediately."

"That's perfectly fine with me." She replied, trying to be polite though still sounding quite miffed. "I've had _quite_ enough of this anyway. Farewell Ms. Bridger, you can rest easy now that you know Ezra finally has a _real_ mother; one that will keep him safe and teach him how to be a proper citizen of the Empire."

"Now wait just a minute!" the caged woman yelled as her blonde visitor sat up and made her way to the door. "I know things got a little heated, but you still need to listen to me! The Empire is just using you! They don't care about children, their just trying to breed a generation of obedient, unquestioning loyalists! You can't let that happen to Ezra! You have to teach him to look past the lies! There's proof of their corruption everywhere! Just look closely and you'll see that I'm right! You have to listen to me!"

Unfortunately, these pleas fell on deaf ears, as the blonde seemed to ignore everything she said. It was only when she reached the door that she looked back at the caged woman; her eyes filled with contempt.

"You really are pathetic, you know that." She said in a tone both calm and harsh. "Still spouting your mad propaganda even now. People like you don't deserve children."

She turned back around and began to walk out again, only to pause halfway through the open arch.

"Oh, I almost forgot." The young blonde said without turning around. "Since you're never going to see him again I thought you might like to know. Last week my little Precious said his first word. He called me 'Mama'."

Then without another word she stepped into the hallway and the door shut fast behind.

Still in her holding cell, Mrs. Bridger just stood there in silence for several moments. All the while her mind became a battlefield for her emotions with rage and sorrow as the top contenders. Soon enough however, sorrow came out on top and took a suffocating grip on her senses.

So as her heart began to rip in half, Mira Bridger, former wife, mother, and freedom fighter, fell to her knees and began to sob.

Not too far away, in a secluded and highly fortified area of the prison, two figures watched the caged woman's miserable display with great amusement.

"Well, what do you think?" asked the first figure, clearly a human male. "Can I get results or what?"

"Yes, yes, most impressive old friend." Answered the second, a Neimoidian male. "In five months my staff could barely get her to talk. In five minutes you've reduced her to tears. Marcus, I swear, you are wasted at the IPRA."

"You flatter me Nuke, but I'm really nothing special." Replied the first figure, apparently named Marcus. "I've just seen enough Hen Fights to know how one will turn out."

"Hen Fights?" asked the second figure, or Nuke as it were, sounding rather confused. "Don't you mean Cock Fights?"

"Meh, Cock Fights are so overrated. Two males fighting asserting their dominance scratching each other. Bor-ring~" Marcus answered playfully. "Now, you get two hens together and have duke it out over the same chick, that's where the _real_ blood sport is. Trust me, if it wasn't for that barrier those two would've been clawing at each other's throats."

"I see…" Nuke replied, sounding quite intrigued. "But there is one thing I still don't understand. Why did you make me end the session just when it was getting good?"

"Because continuing wasn't necessary. See for yourself, the damage is already done." Said Marcus as gestured toward the monitor. "Trust me, in another week or two she'll tell you everything you want to know."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because dear Nuke, while wounds may heal and minds can be restored, a blow to the heart is all but fatal." Marcus explained, adopting a slightly more sinister tone. "Just imagine, the knowledge that her own son will grow up to become everything she fought against. The knowledge that her actions have cost her everything she ever loved. The knowledge that her dream of galactic liberation will die with her. She's got nothing left to hold out for; nothing left to cling to. No more hope. Nothing left but surrender."

"You certainly make a strong case, old friend." Replied Nuke, before adopting a much more casual tone. "Say, would you care to join me for a bite? There's this quaint little Cantina Station in orbit around the planet. From what the guards tell me it has the best pierogis in quadrant."

"Sounds good, but I can't. They need me back on Lothal by tonight to interview a new batch of prospective replacement parents." Marcus answered his a dejected sigh. "I tell you, it just never ends."

"The guards also tell me that the Cantina just got a new serving girl." Nuke interjected slyly. "A pleasantly plump young Twi'lek with flawless skin and eyes like supernovas."

"On second thought, I've been working myself too hard lately. I deserve a little break."

"That's the spirit old boy. Now come on, I'll grab us a shuttle."

"Right behind ya~"

And so the two figures sauntered off to an evening of sleaze and greasy pot-stickers; completely unaware that the subject of their previous conversation was currently lying on the floor in a fetal position wailing like an infant.

End Notes: Well that's the end of this one folks. I hope it was well worth the wait. I don't know when the next chapter will be ready so please don't ask. Please leave a review before you leave and thank you to everyone who favorite and/or followed this story so far. You guys are awesome. Later~


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